Baked Eggplant and Ground Beef

Eggplants are one of those vegetables we don’t eat too often in Latin America, even if it’s great and easy to prepare. This recipe goes well with delicious ground meat, which can be prepared ahead of time. Serve the eggplants on pasta, rice, tortillas or with a nice salad to get a full meal. If you want a vegetarian version, chop the eggplants and use them instead of meat. No matter how you wish to prepare them, you’ll get a delicious dish, completely different to other dishes you’ve tried before.MORE +LESS -

Ingredients

2

eggplants, cut into thin slices

Salt

3

tablespoons vegetable oil

1/3

cup chopped onion

3

peeled garlic cloves

1

lb ground beef

1/2

cup tomato sauce

1

bag taco seasoning mix

1/3

cup black raisins

2

boiled eggs, chopped

1/3

cup black olives, chopped

1

cup mozzarella cheese

Directions

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1

Put the eggplant in a strainer. Sprinkle with some salt and put the strainer over a bowl to drain the liquid.

2

Heat up some oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, stirring until the vegetables are soft.

3

Add the ground meat and cook, stirring until it changes color and looks cooked. Add the tomato sauce, taco seasoning mix and raisins. Add 1/2 cup water, cover the pan and cook for five minutes.

4

Add the boiled eggs and olives. Mix well, lower the heat and set aside.

5

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

6

Grease up a mold. Dry the eggplants and arrange a layer of them at the bottom of the mold.

7

Pour the ground meat on top and cover with half the cheese. Cover everything with the rest of the eggplants and cheese.

8

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes or until it’s bubbling and the cheese has melted.